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Friday, September 6, 2002

Fixes promised for Pecos area's poor Fox, ABC signals

By ROSIE FLORES
Staff Writer
PECOS, Friday, Sept. 6, 2002 -- After a month of poor quality or unwatchable
images, new equipment has been ordered for the translator station for
the area's Fox Network channel, and will be installed shortly to provide
better viewing service to viewers of KPEJ out of Odessa.

However, at this time neither officials with KMID in Midland nor those
with Classic Cable are sure what the problem is that has caused Pecos subscribers
to receive poor signals from the Midland-Odessa ABC station over the past
month.

Pecos viewers have had a hard time watching Fox's most popular summer
show, "American Idol" over the past several weeks due to the poor signal,
and on Sunday, KPEJ will begin its broadcasts of regular season NFL telecasts.

However, KPEJ General Manager Jamie Beeghley said this morning, "I talked
with Classic Cable (the Pecos area's cable provider), engineer, Mr. Gonzales,
and he told that he had ordered a new pre-amp for Channel 20, which is the
channel you are receiving the Fox station from."

KPEJ is on Ch. 24 in Odessa, but the signal is not strong enough on its
own to reach the Pecos area. Beginning in 1994 the station used a translator
station to beam its signal into the Pecos Valley by way of a translator station
on 6,500-foot Gomez Peak, 125 miles from KPEJ's main antenna between Midland
and Odessa. But KPEJ was forced off its translator station on Ch. 18 last
year when Spanish-language station KUPB began broadcasting in the Midland-Odessa
area.

"K-20 HD on Gomez Peak used to be Channel 18, until Univision hooked up
and they went with them, because we were the weaker signal," said Beeghley.
KPEJ has been transmitted to Pecos over Ch. 20 since April, while KUPB is
broadcast locally over Ch. 38, off an antenna west of Odessa whose signal
does reach the Pecos Valley.

Beeghley said the company had spent over $30,000 in legal fees and equipment
to get Channel 20 HD on the air. "We've been on Channel 20 HD since then,"
he said.

Beeghley said after talking to the engineers, "They told me that the
temperature might have something to do with the problem as well." He explained
that because temperatures in late summer have gotten extremely high, the
reception from Gomez Peak might not be as strong.

"It's still kind of far from Gomez Peak, which is situated between I-10
and I-20, that still a fairly long ways," he said.

"The engineer had ordered the pre-amp, but they had sent him the wrong
one," said Beeghley. "As soon he gets it in, he'll install it and start working
on it to get a better signal," he said.

"He's doing his best to get that fixed," said Beeghley. "I've done all
I can, I talked with my engineer and sent his report to their engineer, and
we're doing all we can to help."

KPEJ carries most of the Dallas Cowboys regular season games, but won't
be doing that this weekend. The Cowboys' season opener against the new Houston
Texans will be televised Sunday night by ESPN, and their game next week against
Houston's old team, the Tennessee Titans, will be on KOSA-Ch. 7.

The first Dallas game on KPEJ will be Sept. 22, when they Cowboys play
at Philadelphia and Beeghley was hopeful Classic Cable's engineer would have
the correct part by then.

"If he gets the part in right away it will get fixed in time for the Cowboys
games, but I can't make any promises," said Beeghley. "We are getting our
signal to them and they're working on correcting the problem."

As for Channel 12, KMID, Sarah Prewit, a spokesperson for the television
station said that the problem was with our cable provider and not the station
itself.

A Classic Cable spokesperson said that they had not received any complaints,
but that a technician would be dispatched to look at the header. "That's
what provides cable to all the area, the main header and that's probably
where the problem lies," she said. "We'll send this complaint to our field
office and they'll have a technician out there soon who can take care of
this problem," she said.

KMID's signal from Midland-Odessa also does not reach into the Pecos Valley,
but instead of using a translator station, KMID relies on a microwave signal
to reach Pecos cable customers. However, Microwave costs are high, and other
cable systems in the area, including Barstow and Balmorhea, have gotten their
ABC signal via satellite from Denver, Colo.

Harris firebombing trial reportedly delayed

By JENNIFER GALVAN
Staff Writer
PECOS, Friday, Sept. 6, 2002 -- An order to change the Monday trial date
of a man accused of firebombing the Monahans Police Station has not
been filed with the U.S. District Clerk's office in Pecos as of this
morning, though the rescheduling was reported in today's Odessa America.

The paper said the Sept. 9 trial date for accused fire bomber, Travis
James Harris at Pecos' Federal Court House has been moved to Monday, September
30. The U.S. District Clerk's office in Pecos said as of today, the Harris
case has not been added on the September 30 docket at the Lucius D. Bunton
Federal Court House in Pecos, but Harris' attorney, Scott Johnson of Pecos,
also told the American that the trial here had been delayed.

The story said the reason for changing the date is that U.S. District
Court Judge Royal Furgeson has been tied up with a drug trafficking trial
in Midland. Therefore all cases Furgeson had scheduled to hear on Monday,
including Harris' case, have been postponed.

Harris has been charged with the firebombing on June 3, in Monahans. According
to police officials who investigated the case, during the early hours on
June 3, a burning gasoline soaked rag stuffed into a bottle filled with gasoline
was thrown into the Monahans police department building.

Though no one was injured, the building suffered damage and the Monahans
Police Department was moved to another location.

Johnson, Harris' court appointed attorney, made a motion for a mental
examination of Harris on July 1 and in early Harris was taken to Fort Worth
early last month to undergo a psychological evaluation.

According to the article Johnson said that Harris is still in Forth Worth's
metal facility.

"I talked to the psychiatrist last week," Johnson told the American. "He
is still in Fort Worth, but we hope to have him out by the September 30 trail
date."

Johnson told the Enterprise last month he doubted the case would go to
trial on Sept. 9.

"Jury selection is scheduled for then, but it might not take place, because
he's still in evaluation," said Johnson. "It normally takes 45 days, but
this particular one might take longer,

"I don't expect it to take place on Sept. 9," he said at the time.

Johnson said that in the firebombing case Harris is facing a total of
20 years.

In addition to that charge, a federal grand jury in Midland returned an
indictment last month against Harris charging him with Carjacking Resulting
in Death and Use of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence.

The indictment alleges that the carjacking and the use of the firearm
occurred on May 25, and resulted in the death of Paul John Ceniceros, 30,
of Odessa. Ceniceros' body was found in rural southwestern Midland County
on July 17. Ceniceros' body was found two months after his disappearance,
and 6½ weeks after Harris' arrest in connection with the Monahans
Police Department firebombing.

Vehicle bids, RCDC bills on commissioners' agenda

PECOS, Friday, Sept. 6, 2002 -- A vehicle bid for the Trans Pecos Drug
Task Force and payments to several contractors working at the new Reeves
County Detention Center are topics of discussion for the regular Reeves County
Commissioners Court meeting.

The group will meet at 9:30 a.m., Monday, Sept. 9, in the third floor
courtroom and the public is invited to attend.

The group will discuss and take action on awarding vehicle bid No. 04-02
for Trans Pecos Drug Task Force and payments to several contractors working
at the site of the new RCDC III. Several change orders for work being done
at the facility are also on the agenda.

Commissioners will discuss and take action on election worker wages for
the Nov. 5 General Election and inmate transportation crew mileage payments.

Sept. 11 memorial ceremony scheduled

PECOS, Friday, Sept. 6, 2002 -- A ceremony has been scheduled in Pecos
on Wednesday to remember the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United
States on the first anniversary of the event.

"We Will Never Forget, In Remembrance of 9-11," a commemoration ceremony
to honor the many innocent victims of the senseless attacks on our country,
that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001, will take place in front of the Lucius D.
Bunton Federal Courthouse on Cedar Street and will begin at 9:15 in the morning.

The entire community is invited to attend the ceremony and everyone is
encouraged to wear red, white and blue if possible.

For more information contact city secretary, Connie Levario at 445-2421.

Police Report

EDITOR'S NOTE: Information contained in the Police Report
is obtained from reports filed by the Pecos Police Department, Reeves
County Sheriff's Office, or other officers of those agencies.

The serving of warrants by an officer for outstanding fines of either
traffic citations, animal control violations or other court costs are considered
arrests and will be printed as such unless indicated that the fines were
paid. In such instances we will indicate payment and release.

***

Ruben Mendoza, 31, was arrested at 4:37 a.m. on Aug. 31 in the 2000
block of South Eddy Street for public intoxication, and Ector County warrants
for operating a motor vehicle without insurance, failure to appear _ assault,
display or possessing an altered fictitious, suspended, revoked drivers license
and a warrant for theft.

***

A female juvenile was arrested at 2 a.m., on Sept. 1 at 13th
and Cedar streets for deadly conduct.

***

Glenn Cameron, 48, was arrested at 9:56 p.m. on Sept. 4, at 2118 W.
Third St., Apt.6, on a search warrant possession of marijuana, possession
of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm by felon and possession
of drug paraphernalia.

***

Isreal Lara, 19, was arrested at 9:27 p.m. on Sept. 5 at Valley Grain,
for burglary of a building.

***

Adrian Garcia, 17, was arrested at 4:16 a.m. on Sept. 2, at Burrito
Depot on Hwy. 17 for driving under the influence.

***

Jaime Herrera, 18, was arrested at 1:14 a.m., on Sept. 1, in downtown
Balmorhea, for public intoxication.

***

Ernesto Madrid, 24 was arrested at 1:32 a.m., on Sept. 3, in the 2100
block of South Eddy Street for possession of a controlled substance cocaine
and possession of drug paraphernalia.

***

Eric Estroga, 19, was arrested at 9:39 p.m., on Sept. 3, in the 700
block of Sycamore Street, for possession of a controlled substance, marijuana,
within 1000 feet of a school, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

***

Christopher Rodriguez, 25, was arrested at 4:42 a.m., on Sept. 4,
in the 1800 block of Adams Street for capias warrants for default payment
of a public intoxication fine, a default payment on a fine for theft
under $50, and a Reeves County warrant for failure to identify.